The Network Deal

Harold convinces Red to let the show air on a major American television network, resulting in some drastic changes.

Cast (in order of appearance):, , , , , , , ,

DVD: Red Green: Stuffed and Mounted, Vol. 1

Watch the episode on YouTube

DVD Commentary by Steve Smith
{from Stuffed and Mounted}

STEVE SMITH: Once in a while, through the history of "The Red Green Show", we take an episode and we use it as a chance to say a lot of things that we feel about life and social stuff and TV in particular. And this is certainly one of the first ones. It was called "The Network Deal". It's the first time a woman ever appeared on the– on the show, so we had some chances to say something about that, but we also use it to say a lot of things about our view of network programming. If you read between the lines, or even on the lines, I'm sure you'll see what I mean.

Segment Summary
See also: Transcript

Opening Words: Women appreciate creative input. Men appreciate silence.

Plot: Red hosts the first-ever Possum Lodge inflated hip wader contest, while Harold works out a deal with a major television network. As the hip waders inflate, and people start getting eliminated from the competition (usually painfully), the network starts making changes to the show's format. The changes continue until a beautiful woman playing the part of Red's wife, Bernice, walks out on stage, and Harold himself is replaced by a "network-approved" stand-in. However, Red ultimately loses the competition and the network backs out of the deal, bringing things quickly back to normal.

Adventures With Bill: Bill takes up boxing, but can't quite seem to learn the ropes, literally or figuratively.

The Possum Lodge Word Game: Dalton tries to get Red to guess the word "sex" to win a truckload of stuff from the side of the highway. However, Harold never quite manages to get the game started, while Dalton simply continuously coughs and clears his throat.

Red's Campfire Songs: Jersey O'Brien, notorious for always being broke, gets hired by the government.

Handyman Corner: Red demonstrates how to pack for frequent trips.

Visit With Buzz Sherwood: Buzz takes up flying model airplanes. Only problem: His model airplane is too "wussy" for him, so instead, he installs the workings of the airplane into his real plane.

The Experts: A viewer asks what the greatest rock-and-roll band ever is. Harold and Red have their opinions, while Hap claims to have been a substitute lead guitarist in the Rolling Stones.

Explanations

 * The term "two-four" is a slang term meaning "a case of 24".
 * "No-Tell Motel" is a slang term for a type of motel whose main purpose is to encourage sexual activity. In the United States, such motels are usually found in low-income areas, while in many other countries (particularly in Japan and east Asia), they are often high-class establishments.
 * There are also numerous hotels and motels in the U.S. and Canada actually named "The No-Tell Motel".
 * Lawn darts is a lawn game for two players or teams. A lawn dart set usually includes four large darts and two targets. The game play and objective are similar to both horseshoes and darts.

Trivia

 * 1-2 degrees Celsius = approximately 33-35 degrees Fahrenheit, or just above freezing.
 * Based on Red's comments, a total of 46 Possum Lodge members entered the inflated hip waders contest.
 * This is the first episode in which a female character (not including characters dressing as women) has appeared on the show.

Remarks

 * When Network Bernice first steps on stage, the same percussion riff is used to introduce her as in The Movie Project, when Harold walks into the Lodge dressed in drag.

Real-World References

 * Harold's quote about one of the American big three networks interested in the show refers to the Big Three networks, ABC, CBS and NBC.
 * Red's tune is "O Canada", which he quickly replaces with "I'm a Yankee Doodle Dandy".
 * Buzz's scene with the box of chocolates is a reference to the movie Forrest Gump.
 * Red narrating "a bob-bob-bob-bob-bob-and-weave-weave" in the final Adventures With Bill segment is likely a reference to the musical style Doo-wop, which often features similar sequences of nonsense syllables.
 * After Hap claims to have substituted for Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones, Red makes a reference to their famous 1965 song, "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction".
 * At the Lodge Meeting, Harold sings a line from "Guantanamera".

Famous Mentions

 * Reading a cue card, Red mentions George Clooney, who had been starring in the TV series ER when this episode was filmed.
 * Harold mentions several Canadian-born Hollywood stars: Michael J. Fox, Jason Priestley, Keanu Reeves and Mary Pickford.
 * During the boxing match with Bill, Red mentions famous boxers Muhammad Ali and Joe Louis.
 * Harold's favorite band is R.E.M., while Red's favorite is The Guess Who.

Fast Forward

 * In Swiss It Up, Red and Harold would again sell the show, this time to Switzerland.